Collaborative light show authoring for tessellated geometries

Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods relate to providing an optical display apparatus that can be used to make a light source display variable apparent sizes in response to light intensities emitted by the light source. In an illustrative example, the optical display apparatus may have a first baffle arranged on the top of a light source. The optical display apparatus may also include a second baffle, the first baffle may be nested in the second baffle such that a first intensity of a first beam of light guided within the first baffle is stronger than a second intensity of the second beam of light guided between the first baffle and the second baffle. By adjusting the light intensities, different display regions of a translucent diffuser may be lit, which may provide controllable apparent sizes of a light structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An optical display apparatus comprising:
 (a) a first opaque baffle having a first wall extending between a first proximal end and a first distal end to define a first chamber, and being arranged to guide a first beam of light being distributed over a first angle with respect to an optical axis that originates at a light source; 
 (b) a second opaque baffle having a second wall extending between a second proximal end and a second distal end to define a second chamber, and being arranged to guide a second beam of light being distributed over a second angle with respect to a surface defined by the first angle that originates at the light source; and, 
 (c) a translucent diffusion medium arranged at a distal end of the second opaque baffle, the translucent diffusion medium comprising a first display region and a second display region, wherein the first display region lies within the second display region such that the second display region extends outside of the first display region, the first beam of light arrives at the first display region of the translucent diffusion medium, and the second beam of light arrives at the second display region of the translucent diffusion medium, and wherein the first opaque baffle is nested in the second opaque baffle such that a first intensity of the first beam of light is stronger than a second intensity of the second beam of light. 
 
     
     
       2. The optical display apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises one or more LEDs. 
     
     
       3. The optical display apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more LEDs are configured to emit light with different colors. 
     
     
       4. The optical display apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (d) a light diffuser layer arranged to cover the light source and to diffuse received light therefrom, wherein the light diffuser layer is in direct contact with the first proximal end of the first opaque baffle. 
 
     
     
       5. The optical display apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the light diffuser layer comprises an annular shape circumscribing an aperture in the light diffuser layer, the aperture being positioned within a region of the light diffuser layer circumscribed by the first opaque baffle and being oriented substantially orthogonal to the optical axis. 
     
     
       6. The optical display apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 at least one first absorption block disposed on a proximal surface of the light diffuser layer and within the first baffle, and 
 at least one second absorption block disposed on the proximal surface of the light diffuser layer and outside the first baffle. 
 
     
     
       7. The optical display apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one first absorption block is, relative to the at least one second absorption block, at least one of: a smaller size, and farther separated from at least one adjacent block. 
     
     
       8. An optical display apparatus comprising:
 (a) a first diffusion medium having a first proximal surface and a first distal surface and arranged to receive, on the first proximal surface, light output by a light source, the received light being distributed over a first angle with respect to an optical axis that originates at the light source and is substantially orthogonal to the first proximal surface, and the first diffusion medium comprises at least a first intermediate region and a second intermediate region, wherein the first intermediate region lies within the second intermediate region such that the second intermediate region extends outside of the first intermediate region; and, 
 (b) a second diffusion medium having a second proximal surface and a second distal surface and wherein the second diffusion medium comprises a first display region and a second display region, the first display region lies within the second display region such that the second display region extends outside of the first display region, wherein a first beam of light incident on the first proximal surface within the first intermediate region arrives at the first display region of the second diffusion medium, and a second beam of light incident on the first proximal surface within the second intermediate region arrives at the second display region of the second diffusion medium, and a first diffusion coefficient of the first intermediate region is less than a second diffusion coefficient of the second intermediate region such that a first intensity of the first beam of light is stronger than a second intensity of the second beam of light. 
 
     
     
       9. The optical display apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first intermediate region comprises an annular shape circumscribing an aperture, wherein the aperture is oriented orthogonally to the optical axis. 
 
     
     
       10. The optical display apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the first diffusion medium comprises a translucent refractor configured to attenuate impinging light. 
     
     
       11. The optical display apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the second diffusion medium comprises a translucent refractor. 
     
     
       12. The optical display apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 at least one first absorption block arranged on the first proximal surface within the first intermediate region and at least one second absorption block arranged on the second proximal surface within the second intermediate region. 
 
     
     
       13. The optical display apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one first absorption block is, relative to the at least one second absorption block, at least one of: a smaller size, and farther separated from at least one adjacent block. 
     
     
       14. The optical display apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 (c) a first baffle, having a first wall extending between a first proximal end and a first distal end to define a first chamber, arranged between the first diffusion medium and the second diffusion medium to guide a first beam of light being distributed over a first angle with respect to an optical axis that originates at a light source; and, 
 (d) a second baffle, having a second wall extending between a second proximal end and a second distal end to define a second chamber, arranged between the first diffusion medium and second diffusion medium to guide a second beam of light being distributed over a second angle with respect to a surface defined by the first angle that originates at the light source. 
 
     
     
       15. The optical display apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first baffle and the second baffle are formed by additive manufacture. 
     
     
       16. A method to implement an optical display apparatus, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a first diffusion medium having a first proximal surface and a first distal surface, the first diffusion medium comprises a first intermediate region and a second intermediate region; 
 (b) arranging the first diffusion medium to receive, on the first proximal surface, light output by a light source, the received light being distributed over a first angle with respect to an optical axis that originates at the light source and is substantially orthogonal to the first proximal surface, wherein the first intermediate region lies within the second intermediate region such that the second intermediate region extends outside of the first intermediate region; and, 
 (c) providing a second diffusion medium having a second proximal surface and a second distal surface, the second diffusion medium comprises at least a first display region and a second display region, wherein the first display region lies within the second display region such that the second display region extends outside of the first display region, 
 wherein a first beam of light incident on the first proximal surface within the first intermediate region arrives at the first display region of the second diffusion medium, and a second beam of light incident on the first proximal surface within the second intermediate region arrives at the second display region of the second diffusion medium, a first diffusion coefficient of the first intermediate region is less than a second diffusion coefficient of the second intermediate region such that a first intensity of the first beam of light is stronger than a second intensity of the second beam of light. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first diffusion medium comprises an annular shape circumscribing an aperture, wherein the aperture is oriented orthogonally to the optical axis. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first diffusion medium comprises a translucent refractor configured to attenuate impinging light. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 (d) providing a first baffle having a first wall extending between a first proximal end and a first distal end to define a first chamber, arranging the first baffle between the first diffusion medium and the second diffusion medium to guide a first beam of light being distributed over a first angle with respect to an optical axis that originates at a light source; and, 
 (e) providing a second baffle having a second wall extending between a second proximal end and a second distal end to define a second chamber, and arranging the second baffle between the first diffusion medium and second diffusion medium to guide a second beam of light being distributed over a second angle with respect to a surface defined by the first angle that originates at the light source. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first baffle and the second baffle are formed by additive manufacture.